There was plenty of excitement and drama in the fifth round of the Currie Cup , with two draws, while the Lions and DHL Western Province returned to winning ways as the race for semi-final spots starts to take shape.
Both the weekend’s first two matches ended in a stalemate – the Cheetahs held the unbeaten Vodacom Bulls to a 34-34 draw in Bloemfontein on Friday evening, while the encounter between the Pumas and Sharks XV also ended all square, on 44-44, in the early Saturday afternoon fixture in Nelspruit.
DHL WP outplayed Griffons 39-17 in Cape Town on Saturday evening, while Sunday saw the Lions triumph 36-28 over Griquas in Kimberley.
In the round’s opening fixture Friday in Bloemfontein, defending champions Cheetahs showed their courage by fighting from 24-3 down to earn a credible draw against log leaders, the Vodacom Bulls.
Meanwhile in Nelspruit, the Pumas and Sharks XV played out to a thrilling 88-point draw, with both sides crossing for six tries.
Western Province returned to winning ways with a hard-earned victory over a gritty Griffons. Former Junior Springbok scrumhalf Imad Khan scored a brace as WP registered five tries to two in this important win.
The Lions scored six tries on their way to a deserved 36-28 bonus point victory over hosts Griquas in Kimberley in the last fixture of the round. Young flanker Renzo du Plessis played a blinder for the Gauteng outfit, and he was rewarded with two tries for his eye-catching performance.
After five rounds, the Vodacom Bulls consolidated their spot at top of the league with 21 points, three more than a chasing pack of three “big cats”, the defending champions Cheetahs, Lions and Pumas.
In this weekend’s sixth round action, the Lions welcome the Pumas to the Ellis Park on Saturday, the Vodacom Bulls host the Griffons, while DHL WP face the Cheetahs in Cape Town. On Sunday, the Sharks XV will host Griquas.
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
